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A few days ago our dryer started complaining about a blocked airway, so I went up on the roof to check out the vent and sure enough the screen was completely clogged with lint.

It's a new vent that was installed along with a new roof in November, so I imagine I'll have to go up there and clean it out every 3-4 months.

Is this really part of regular home maintenance? Neither my wife nor I recall our parents ever doing this sort of thing.

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  • I can't imagine being able to keep a dryer exhaust screen clean . I have a horizontal 4 " exhaust pipe near ground level with no screen and the open pipe requires annual cleaning There is an aluminum flapper which is usually stuck open. – blacksmith37 Feb 23 at 21:44
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Your parents did not have a screen at the exhaust vent terminal either. Somebody installed the wrong type of vent cap on the dryer vent. Dryers are particularly dependent on much free flowing air for proper operation. All dryer exhaust air is full of fabric lint. Fabric Lint will always clog a screen. Either replace the existing cap with the right one, (screen free) or jerk the screen out of that thing and live happily ever after!

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  • I'm reluctant to remove the screen -- the dryer used to be vented in a different location on the side of the house with a flapper cover, and we had birds get in the laundry room a few times, so I had to put a homemade screen around the flapper. – John Gordon Feb 23 at 21:22
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The screen at the vent keeps animals out, so it is useful, although not always used. One thing you can do is add a lint trap to your ducts, so you don't have to climb the roof.

Link at Amazon

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  • I didn't know such a thing existed. I'll see if I can make it work! – John Gordon Feb 23 at 21:23

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